Some very sad news to report as Jay Douglas, former VP of Acquisitions at Anchor Bay Entertainment, has passed away, according to Don May Jr. of Synapse Films and Michael Felsher of Red Shirt Pictures. For horror fans, Anchor Bay was one of the best distributors of genre titles. Their VHS and DVD releases used […] The post Rest in Peace: Jay Douglas of Anchor Bay Has Passed Away appeared first on Dread Central.
- 2/26/2019
- by Jonathan Barkan
- DreadCentral.com
It’s hard for me to believe that another Flashback Weekend is nearly upon us, but in just a few short days, genre fans will descend upon the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare (5440 N. River Road, Rosemont, Il) for three days of horror-filled shenanigans. Beginning Friday, August 4th and running through Sunday, August 6th, Flashback is pulling out all the stops for their 15th anniversary, with their massive Nightmare on Elm Street reunion bringing together casts from nearly all of the films, including the legendary Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Lisa Wilcox, Amanda Wyss, Ronee Blakley, Joann Willette, Brooke Bundy, Tuesday Knight, Danny Hassel, Toy Newkirk, Kelly Jo Minter, Brooke Theiss, Andras Jones, Ricky Dean Logan, Katharine Isabelle, Ken Kirzinger, Paula Shaw, and Jesse Hutch.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Flashback 2017 will also feature a multitude of other notable guests, including Lance Henriksen, Ken Foree, Nancy Loomis, William Forsythe,...
And as if that wasn’t enough, Flashback 2017 will also feature a multitude of other notable guests, including Lance Henriksen, Ken Foree, Nancy Loomis, William Forsythe,...
- 7/31/2017
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Yesterday, the Chicago Cinema Society sent out a press release detailing their plans on an recent and amazing discovery of finding an Italian print of Dario Argento’s phantasmagorical assault on the senses, Suspiria. I’m sure you have heard the news by now and are hyped up but I wanted to chime in and let you know that, while this is pretty great, this is probably not the best presentation for the film.
I am a lover of 35mm. I program and created a midnight theatrical film program called Late Nite Grindhouse back in 2010 here in St. Louis. I’ve had the opportunity to show plenty of 35mm film prints as well as digital. Some prints were in great shape, some…not so much. As a film programmer and a celluloid junkie, I typically would fight for presenting a film on 35mm vs. Dcp (Digital Cinema Package) or a Blu-Ray. Above all things, the film is the most important thing to be considered about programming. If I’m showing a film that relies on a certain color palette like Suspiria, Halloween or any Mario Bava film, if the elements available to me do not retain what I feel is a proper presentation of those color schemes, I see what other options there are. If there are no other options, I don’t book the film. I tend to program based on my tastes but also films that I think everyone should see as I feel there is importance in the film being presented and where it stands in genre cinema, if not cinema as a whole. One common obstacle is programming a film that will bring people in the door and balancing the payment of theatrical rights and cost of assets. Things have changed drastically just in the 7 years of doing Late Nite Grindhouse regarding the availability of assets. Restorations done for upcoming Blu-Ray releases afford the opportunity to screen something that would be financially irresponsible or it gives me an opportunity for a film that I feel deserves more respect. In the early days, we were lucky enough to be at a theater that didn’t sell off their 35mm equipment for digital. When they got a digital projector, they had 3 projectors in the the projection booth. Granted, the digital projector got the most use for day to day operation but the 35mm projectors would at least be used two times a month if it was a Late Nite Grindhouse show. If we are talking about pristine image, a pristine 35mm film print will win over any digital projection. However, as a ex-projectionist, I also know that since 35mm prints are susceptible to damage. Also, films that were printed on film stock before the early to mid-80’s were printed on a “cheaper” film stock. “Eastman Film Prints” were pretty common and if you have ever done any research on 35mm film prints, you know that those prints go “red” or “magenta” if they are not stored properly and/or pass through a xenon bulb (the light from a projector) multiple times. Hell, even if they are stored properly and untouched, they still fade. With these types of prints, the more the print is shown, the image degrades and has growing opportunities to be damaged. This is why it is important for theaters to have projectionists with experience.
Let’s rewind back a bit and let me tell you about when Late Nite Grindhouse showed Suspiria five years ago. We contacted Fox for the theatrical rights – as they are the rightsholders in the United States and agreed to their financial terms. However, they didn’t have anything to provide us to actually show the film. They didn’t have a print in their vault nor could they recommend anyone to contact (because it is not their job to recommend a third-party) to get a print from. After I did my research, most prints that were in private collections were of the heavily-truncated U.S. cut and I knew I didn’t want to show that. With no Dcp available, I knew that our next best bet would be to try and acquire a Blu-Ray. Once I acquired the best Blu-Ray available, we began planning for the show. In the Summer of 2012, we projected it and turned up the volume to a higher than normal volume (as previously said, the film is an assault on the senses and should be played loud). People were so happy to see it on the big screen and realized just how theatrical the film was and how it was best suited for a theater and not at home. While not the ideal way to show the film, it worked. Some people thought it was a film print and I let them know it wasn’t when asked. Again, while I prefer 35mm, for a film like Suspiria which was 35 years old at the time of showing it and knowing the condition of the Us cut prints, the way we showed it was the best possible. I think it was best for us to show it than to not show it as probably half of the audience had never seen the film before. Most of us have seen the film via Anchor Bay’s DVD or maybe even VHS. Imagine seeing Suspiria in 2012 for the first time on the big screen. Yeah, pretty mindblowing.
2017 is the 40th anniversary of Suspiria. To celebrate, a company called Videa in Italy teamed up with a German lab, TLEFilms, to restore the film for the anniversary. The restoration has already screen theatrically back in January and has since been released on Blu-Ray outside of the United States. However, based on the images I have seen, the screenshots seem muted and the color timing is not satisfactory – which is probably why you are not hearing more about it. This brings me to a common misconception that people think 35mm is better than digital. As said previously, if given a pristine 35mm film print on a first run vs. a digital print, I would agree that 35mm would be the best presentation. What the Chicago Cinema Society found was Not a pristine 35mm film print. They found what is probably the best 35mm print known in existence with the “uncut”/Italian cut of the film. Having said that, being a film fan, I’d love to see this presentation. However, I also know that this is not the best you will see Suspiria.
The Chicago Cinema Society and the other theaters that will be exhibiting this print will have a lot to deal with. First, this is a “frankensteined” presentation. Since the cut is the Italian print of the film, that means that the film language is in Italian. If you know anything about the film, or even Italian cinema, you know that most of the dialogue by the non-English speaking actors was spoken phonetically to give the illusion that they are speaking English. After the filming, in post-production English speaking actors would come in and dub their voices. Since this is the Italian cut, you will see people “speaking English” but hear only Italian. Also, the print itself doesn’t have subtitles. What Ccs is doing is projecting subtitles over the image via a digital projector in a process known as “soft-subbing”. I’ve seen a film presented like this once and I’ll just say that the subtitles were more of a nuisance than a blessing. Once you address that, let’s talk about the image. Assuming you have seen the film before, you know that color is a big deal in the film. It is what makes the film bleed into fantastical territory. The Ccs has stated that their film print has “minimal fading”. They have even filmed their projection of the print to show you the quality via 5 clips loaded on YouTube.
My observation of these clips is that it is pretty clean (especially given it’s age) and that Ccs is definitely true in their assumption that the print has only played a few times. With that said, the 40 years of being printed on what is probably Eastman Film Stock, have faded the blacks into a reddish-brown. The colors are pretty in tact from what I can see from these videos but they are not as potent as they should be. This is also apparent via their picture of the main title.
Courtesy of Chicago Cinema Society
This year, Synapse Films will be releasing their restoration of Suspiria. They have worked on this release for years and have always done great restoration work. In addition, they are working with Luciano Tovoli, the cinematographer of Suspiria to bring us the best and most accurate presentation of the film. Don May Jr. has released images in comparison to the Italian/Videa restoration as well. I have taken one image from his comparison shots that I think should definitely be considered. Also, since I’ve seen some confusion and/or misconception via Facebook, let’s straighten something out. This print is the same cut that Synapse Films is releasing. Ccs didn’t discover a print with new footage. This is the uncut print – which is hard to see on 35mm in the United States – which is the same version we will see when Synapse Films releases their Blu-Ray. In addition, while it is rare to see the “uncut”/Italian cut of the film in the States, it isn’t impossible. In fact, I was reminded about it showing back in October of 2013 (Thanks, Shade)!
Where did the blue go in Videa’s restoration? This image alone tells me that Synapse’s restoration is superior to Videa’s restoration.
To illustrate a point on why I think everyone should wait until Synapse announces their plans for the release, let me show you what Synapse’s presentation would look like versus a mock-up of the low-fade 35mm print that Ccs will be touring.
Here’s an image from Synapse’s restoration:
Here is a mock-up of a faded image:
The mock-up is exactly that, a mock-up, so don’t take this as gospel but it should give you a good idea for a quick comparison. Quite honestly, it is still pretty sharp (probably sharper than if you scanned this exact frame from Ccs’ print). Blacks become a reddish-brown and colors fade in their luminosity. The image is just to give you an idea of how something that even has a low-fade will damage image integrity. You can see from the YouTube clips that the blacks are a reddish-brown just from the camera shot quality.
Here’s the thing, this news is still exciting. I encourage you to support your local movie theater if they decide to show this print because they will be putting some work into it. However, you might notice that there are only a few dates announced. Could this be because programmers around the States are looking towards Synapse’s restoration? Do they know something the general public doesn’t know yet? Very possible. Again, Synapse’s restoration is nearing the end of completion and who knows what their plans are after they send it off to their duplicator to print up Blu-Rays. I know that if I worked on something for years, I’d want to show it to the widest audience available.
All I can say is give it a couple months. Be patient. Who knows what might be announced within the next few months. If you live near any of the screenings already planned by the Chicago Cinema Society, check it out. If you are hours away, please consider everything that has been said in this article. Here are the dates that have been announced so far. Please check out Chicago Cinema Society’s page for more dates as they are added.
7/28: The Metrograph, New York City, NY
9/16: The Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, Tn
Early Fall: Venue confirmed and Tba, Los Angeles, CA
10/14: Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, Ma
10/26+27: Northwest Film Forum, Seattle, Wa
Late Fall: Music Box Theatre, Chicago, Il
11/18: Alamo Drafthouse, Littleton, Co
Feel free to comment below!
I am a lover of 35mm. I program and created a midnight theatrical film program called Late Nite Grindhouse back in 2010 here in St. Louis. I’ve had the opportunity to show plenty of 35mm film prints as well as digital. Some prints were in great shape, some…not so much. As a film programmer and a celluloid junkie, I typically would fight for presenting a film on 35mm vs. Dcp (Digital Cinema Package) or a Blu-Ray. Above all things, the film is the most important thing to be considered about programming. If I’m showing a film that relies on a certain color palette like Suspiria, Halloween or any Mario Bava film, if the elements available to me do not retain what I feel is a proper presentation of those color schemes, I see what other options there are. If there are no other options, I don’t book the film. I tend to program based on my tastes but also films that I think everyone should see as I feel there is importance in the film being presented and where it stands in genre cinema, if not cinema as a whole. One common obstacle is programming a film that will bring people in the door and balancing the payment of theatrical rights and cost of assets. Things have changed drastically just in the 7 years of doing Late Nite Grindhouse regarding the availability of assets. Restorations done for upcoming Blu-Ray releases afford the opportunity to screen something that would be financially irresponsible or it gives me an opportunity for a film that I feel deserves more respect. In the early days, we were lucky enough to be at a theater that didn’t sell off their 35mm equipment for digital. When they got a digital projector, they had 3 projectors in the the projection booth. Granted, the digital projector got the most use for day to day operation but the 35mm projectors would at least be used two times a month if it was a Late Nite Grindhouse show. If we are talking about pristine image, a pristine 35mm film print will win over any digital projection. However, as a ex-projectionist, I also know that since 35mm prints are susceptible to damage. Also, films that were printed on film stock before the early to mid-80’s were printed on a “cheaper” film stock. “Eastman Film Prints” were pretty common and if you have ever done any research on 35mm film prints, you know that those prints go “red” or “magenta” if they are not stored properly and/or pass through a xenon bulb (the light from a projector) multiple times. Hell, even if they are stored properly and untouched, they still fade. With these types of prints, the more the print is shown, the image degrades and has growing opportunities to be damaged. This is why it is important for theaters to have projectionists with experience.
Let’s rewind back a bit and let me tell you about when Late Nite Grindhouse showed Suspiria five years ago. We contacted Fox for the theatrical rights – as they are the rightsholders in the United States and agreed to their financial terms. However, they didn’t have anything to provide us to actually show the film. They didn’t have a print in their vault nor could they recommend anyone to contact (because it is not their job to recommend a third-party) to get a print from. After I did my research, most prints that were in private collections were of the heavily-truncated U.S. cut and I knew I didn’t want to show that. With no Dcp available, I knew that our next best bet would be to try and acquire a Blu-Ray. Once I acquired the best Blu-Ray available, we began planning for the show. In the Summer of 2012, we projected it and turned up the volume to a higher than normal volume (as previously said, the film is an assault on the senses and should be played loud). People were so happy to see it on the big screen and realized just how theatrical the film was and how it was best suited for a theater and not at home. While not the ideal way to show the film, it worked. Some people thought it was a film print and I let them know it wasn’t when asked. Again, while I prefer 35mm, for a film like Suspiria which was 35 years old at the time of showing it and knowing the condition of the Us cut prints, the way we showed it was the best possible. I think it was best for us to show it than to not show it as probably half of the audience had never seen the film before. Most of us have seen the film via Anchor Bay’s DVD or maybe even VHS. Imagine seeing Suspiria in 2012 for the first time on the big screen. Yeah, pretty mindblowing.
2017 is the 40th anniversary of Suspiria. To celebrate, a company called Videa in Italy teamed up with a German lab, TLEFilms, to restore the film for the anniversary. The restoration has already screen theatrically back in January and has since been released on Blu-Ray outside of the United States. However, based on the images I have seen, the screenshots seem muted and the color timing is not satisfactory – which is probably why you are not hearing more about it. This brings me to a common misconception that people think 35mm is better than digital. As said previously, if given a pristine 35mm film print on a first run vs. a digital print, I would agree that 35mm would be the best presentation. What the Chicago Cinema Society found was Not a pristine 35mm film print. They found what is probably the best 35mm print known in existence with the “uncut”/Italian cut of the film. Having said that, being a film fan, I’d love to see this presentation. However, I also know that this is not the best you will see Suspiria.
The Chicago Cinema Society and the other theaters that will be exhibiting this print will have a lot to deal with. First, this is a “frankensteined” presentation. Since the cut is the Italian print of the film, that means that the film language is in Italian. If you know anything about the film, or even Italian cinema, you know that most of the dialogue by the non-English speaking actors was spoken phonetically to give the illusion that they are speaking English. After the filming, in post-production English speaking actors would come in and dub their voices. Since this is the Italian cut, you will see people “speaking English” but hear only Italian. Also, the print itself doesn’t have subtitles. What Ccs is doing is projecting subtitles over the image via a digital projector in a process known as “soft-subbing”. I’ve seen a film presented like this once and I’ll just say that the subtitles were more of a nuisance than a blessing. Once you address that, let’s talk about the image. Assuming you have seen the film before, you know that color is a big deal in the film. It is what makes the film bleed into fantastical territory. The Ccs has stated that their film print has “minimal fading”. They have even filmed their projection of the print to show you the quality via 5 clips loaded on YouTube.
My observation of these clips is that it is pretty clean (especially given it’s age) and that Ccs is definitely true in their assumption that the print has only played a few times. With that said, the 40 years of being printed on what is probably Eastman Film Stock, have faded the blacks into a reddish-brown. The colors are pretty in tact from what I can see from these videos but they are not as potent as they should be. This is also apparent via their picture of the main title.
Courtesy of Chicago Cinema Society
This year, Synapse Films will be releasing their restoration of Suspiria. They have worked on this release for years and have always done great restoration work. In addition, they are working with Luciano Tovoli, the cinematographer of Suspiria to bring us the best and most accurate presentation of the film. Don May Jr. has released images in comparison to the Italian/Videa restoration as well. I have taken one image from his comparison shots that I think should definitely be considered. Also, since I’ve seen some confusion and/or misconception via Facebook, let’s straighten something out. This print is the same cut that Synapse Films is releasing. Ccs didn’t discover a print with new footage. This is the uncut print – which is hard to see on 35mm in the United States – which is the same version we will see when Synapse Films releases their Blu-Ray. In addition, while it is rare to see the “uncut”/Italian cut of the film in the States, it isn’t impossible. In fact, I was reminded about it showing back in October of 2013 (Thanks, Shade)!
Where did the blue go in Videa’s restoration? This image alone tells me that Synapse’s restoration is superior to Videa’s restoration.
To illustrate a point on why I think everyone should wait until Synapse announces their plans for the release, let me show you what Synapse’s presentation would look like versus a mock-up of the low-fade 35mm print that Ccs will be touring.
Here’s an image from Synapse’s restoration:
Here is a mock-up of a faded image:
The mock-up is exactly that, a mock-up, so don’t take this as gospel but it should give you a good idea for a quick comparison. Quite honestly, it is still pretty sharp (probably sharper than if you scanned this exact frame from Ccs’ print). Blacks become a reddish-brown and colors fade in their luminosity. The image is just to give you an idea of how something that even has a low-fade will damage image integrity. You can see from the YouTube clips that the blacks are a reddish-brown just from the camera shot quality.
Here’s the thing, this news is still exciting. I encourage you to support your local movie theater if they decide to show this print because they will be putting some work into it. However, you might notice that there are only a few dates announced. Could this be because programmers around the States are looking towards Synapse’s restoration? Do they know something the general public doesn’t know yet? Very possible. Again, Synapse’s restoration is nearing the end of completion and who knows what their plans are after they send it off to their duplicator to print up Blu-Rays. I know that if I worked on something for years, I’d want to show it to the widest audience available.
All I can say is give it a couple months. Be patient. Who knows what might be announced within the next few months. If you live near any of the screenings already planned by the Chicago Cinema Society, check it out. If you are hours away, please consider everything that has been said in this article. Here are the dates that have been announced so far. Please check out Chicago Cinema Society’s page for more dates as they are added.
7/28: The Metrograph, New York City, NY
9/16: The Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, Tn
Early Fall: Venue confirmed and Tba, Los Angeles, CA
10/14: Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, Ma
10/26+27: Northwest Film Forum, Seattle, Wa
Late Fall: Music Box Theatre, Chicago, Il
11/18: Alamo Drafthouse, Littleton, Co
Feel free to comment below!
- 6/22/2017
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
The story behind the film adaptation of one of Stephen King's most chilling books (if not the most chilling) is explored in Unearthed & Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary, and while the documentary is already available on VOD platforms, Terror Films has now teamed up with Synapse Films for a Blu-ray and DVD release of the documentary later this year.
Press Release: Los Angeles (April 20, 2017) - On the eve of the 28th Anniversary of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, which was released in theaters on April 21, 1989, Terror Films is excited to announce their partnership with Synapse Films. Synapse is set to handle the physical release of the documentary; it will be released later this year.
Don May Jr., one of the partners of the American DVD and Blu-ray label, specializes in cult horror, science fiction and exploitation films. He had this to say about teaming up with Terror Films:...
Press Release: Los Angeles (April 20, 2017) - On the eve of the 28th Anniversary of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, which was released in theaters on April 21, 1989, Terror Films is excited to announce their partnership with Synapse Films. Synapse is set to handle the physical release of the documentary; it will be released later this year.
Don May Jr., one of the partners of the American DVD and Blu-ray label, specializes in cult horror, science fiction and exploitation films. He had this to say about teaming up with Terror Films:...
- 4/20/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Thundercrack!
Directed by Curt McDowell
Written by George Kuchar
USA, 1975
When one looks at the underground cult film scene of the 1960s and 1970s, the names Mike Kuchar and George Kuchar definitely come to mind. Twin-brothers who have spent the majority of their lives making short films, Mike and George utilized over-the-top titles and experimental storylines, all of the home movie variety shot on a rather “stylized” no-budget that Ed Wood would’ve been jealous of. Mike Kuchar’s work seemed to be inspired by pop genre films with a dash or two of wild fantasy: his best known film (well, best known in regards to the underground) is Sins of the Fleshapoids (1965), a trippy sci-fi/fantasy whatsit, all shot in color 16mm inside various rooms with limited art direction, utilizing dubbed-in narration and on-screen dialogue represented by optical cartoon-like speech-bubbles, and cribbing some music cues of Bernard Herrmann’s...
Directed by Curt McDowell
Written by George Kuchar
USA, 1975
When one looks at the underground cult film scene of the 1960s and 1970s, the names Mike Kuchar and George Kuchar definitely come to mind. Twin-brothers who have spent the majority of their lives making short films, Mike and George utilized over-the-top titles and experimental storylines, all of the home movie variety shot on a rather “stylized” no-budget that Ed Wood would’ve been jealous of. Mike Kuchar’s work seemed to be inspired by pop genre films with a dash or two of wild fantasy: his best known film (well, best known in regards to the underground) is Sins of the Fleshapoids (1965), a trippy sci-fi/fantasy whatsit, all shot in color 16mm inside various rooms with limited art direction, utilizing dubbed-in narration and on-screen dialogue represented by optical cartoon-like speech-bubbles, and cribbing some music cues of Bernard Herrmann’s...
- 1/20/2016
- by Christopher Koenig
- SoundOnSight
In just a few days, Flashback Weekend Horror Convention will be celebrating Halloween in August with their Michael Myers-related revelry (and more), and we now have a look at the final schedule for this weekend’s convention, which runs at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare from Friday, August 7th through Sunday, August 9th.
Flashback Weekend has been a longstanding tradition for me, as both a fan and as one of the co-hosts, and this year looks to be yet another incredible time for horror lovers, featuring tons of great panels, movie screenings, events, and legendary composer Alan Howarth will even be performing a special concert for attendees on Friday night.
Take a look at Flashback’s full schedule below and be sure to say hi if you happen to see me during all the festivities over the course of the weekend. For ticket information or any further details,...
Flashback Weekend has been a longstanding tradition for me, as both a fan and as one of the co-hosts, and this year looks to be yet another incredible time for horror lovers, featuring tons of great panels, movie screenings, events, and legendary composer Alan Howarth will even be performing a special concert for attendees on Friday night.
Take a look at Flashback’s full schedule below and be sure to say hi if you happen to see me during all the festivities over the course of the weekend. For ticket information or any further details,...
- 8/5/2015
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
It seems like the past few Mondays I have published posts that question things that are either being released or things that might be happening in the horror/cult genre. I look onto my fellow horror fans as family and we are one of the only groups spawned by a particular subset of films that seem to have a community. You might remember a couple weeks back when I published about Charlie Band publishing a sub-par product in his Tourist Trap Blu-Ray. Some of which have said that it is “old news”. While I would agree with that, you’d be surprised on how many people didn’t know about the Wizard Video information and/or the Tourist Trap “editing”. I came back again with a post that came about after I read a fantastic story about the studio behind Coraline and Paranorman. Hoping not to make a habit of it,...
- 5/19/2014
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
Growing up in a small town in California in the 1980′s and into the 90′s with nothing to do, I existed on a steady diet of TV and books. Street Trash is one of those movies that would show up occasionally and piqued my interest because it seemed like something of the Troma variety. In fact, one could look at it as the best film that studio never made. I do recall the film looking rather grungy and beat up, so seeing it uncut and presented so beautifully was a bit of a shock. Who knew this little movie could look this fantastic? Let’s take a trip to the junk yard, shall we?
The biggest bum fest this side of John Waters’ Desperate Living, Street Trash tells the happy tale of a liquor store owner just trying to make a living and a group of local homeless people trying...
The biggest bum fest this side of John Waters’ Desperate Living, Street Trash tells the happy tale of a liquor store owner just trying to make a living and a group of local homeless people trying...
- 11/8/2013
- by Derek Botelho
- DailyDead
Synapse Films president Don May Jr. wrote a detailed update on the site's blog explaining that their long-awaited Blu-ray “Meltdown Edition” release of James Muro's 1987 cult classic Street Trash, originally slated for June 11th, has been delayed slightly due to technical issues in the restoration and HD remastering process. Street Trash was transferred in high-definition from the original camera negative, which had many physical flaws to be addressed – flaws which were not visible in the earlier standard definition DVD release – and May says those issues were not addressed to his satisfaction by the authoring facility involved. “For me personally, this project is currently in a state that I refuse to release,” he writes. “I have discussed it with my business partner, Jerry Chandler, and we both agree that the delay, to fix the issues at hand, is more important than to release a botched product to our fans, and to the marketplace,...
- 5/6/2013
- by Gregory Burkart
- FEARnet
Synapse Films broke exclusive word to Fangoria that theyll be releasing Lamberto Bavas Demons and Demons 2 onto Blu-ray, with HD editions of Dario Argentos Tenebrae and Phenomena to follow as well! All four films will be making their Us high-definition debut, and should be hitting later this year! Heres what Synapse head honcho Don May Jr. had to say about the upcoming realeases: Were getting better hi-def masters of Tenebrae and Phen…...
- 2/2/2013
- Horrorbid
Synapse Films has recently announced its plans to release new, high-def collector editions of two of Dario Argento's films, and two of Lamberto Bava's films. Tenebrae and Phenomena from Argento; Demons and Demons 2 from Bava should all be available on blu-ray and DVD by the end of the year.
Don May Jr. from Synapse spoke exclusively to Fangoria, and had this to say:
"We’re getting better hi-def masters of Tenebrae and Phenomena, and we’re fixing the timing and color errors that were in the previous Blu-rays of the Demons films. Right now, Calum Waddell and High Rising Productions are working on supplements for Demons and Demons 2. They’re putting together all kinds of stuff for us on those two, with the participation of Simon Boswell, Alan Jones, Federico Zampaglione and Roy Bava, and many more to be announced. We haven’t started on the Tenebrae and Phenomena extras yet.
Don May Jr. from Synapse spoke exclusively to Fangoria, and had this to say:
"We’re getting better hi-def masters of Tenebrae and Phenomena, and we’re fixing the timing and color errors that were in the previous Blu-rays of the Demons films. Right now, Calum Waddell and High Rising Productions are working on supplements for Demons and Demons 2. They’re putting together all kinds of stuff for us on those two, with the participation of Simon Boswell, Alan Jones, Federico Zampaglione and Roy Bava, and many more to be announced. We haven’t started on the Tenebrae and Phenomena extras yet.
- 1/28/2013
- by Alyse Wax
- FEARnet
Earlier this month, we told you that Synapse Films would be releasing a Blu-ray version of Lamberto Bava’s Demons, and it’s now being reported that they’re also working on new Blu-ray versions of Demons 2, along with Dario Argento’s Tenebre and Phenomena.
Don May Jr. of Synapse Films recently gave Fangoria an update on their upcoming Blu-ray/DVD titles:
“We’re getting better hi-def masters of Tenebrae and Phenomena, and we’re fixing the timing and color errors that were in the previous Blu-rays of the Demons films. Right now, Calum Waddell and High Rising Productions are working on supplements for Demons and Demons 2. They’re putting together all kinds of stuff for us on those two, with the participation of Simon Boswell, Alan Jones, Federico Zampaglione and Roy Bava, and many more to be announced. We haven’t started on the Tenebrae and Phenomena extras yet.
Don May Jr. of Synapse Films recently gave Fangoria an update on their upcoming Blu-ray/DVD titles:
“We’re getting better hi-def masters of Tenebrae and Phenomena, and we’re fixing the timing and color errors that were in the previous Blu-rays of the Demons films. Right now, Calum Waddell and High Rising Productions are working on supplements for Demons and Demons 2. They’re putting together all kinds of stuff for us on those two, with the participation of Simon Boswell, Alan Jones, Federico Zampaglione and Roy Bava, and many more to be announced. We haven’t started on the Tenebrae and Phenomena extras yet.
- 1/28/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Synapse Films’ Don May Jr. gave Fango the scoop that the company just acquired Lamberto Bava’s Demons and Demons 2 and Dario Argento’s Tenebrae and Phenomena. “We’ll be releasing Blu-rays and DVDs of all four in 2013,” he tells us. “We’re getting better hi-def masters of Tenebrae and Phenomena, and we’re fixing the timing and color errors that were in the previous Blu-rays of the Demons films. Right now, Calum Waddell and High Rising Productions are working on supplements for Demons and Demons 2. They’re putting together all kinds of stuff for us on those two, with the participation of Simon Boswell, Alan Jones, Federico Zampaglione and Roy Bava, and many more to be announced. We haven’t started on the Tenebrae and Phenomena extras yet.” Look for more details on these releases (for which the images below do not necessarily represent the cover art) soon.
- 1/28/2013
- by gingold@starloggroup.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
Synapse Films’ Don May Jr. gave Fango the scoop that the company just acquired Lamberto Bava’s Demons and Demons 2 and Dario Argento’s Tenebrae and Phenomena. “We’ll be releasing Blu-rays and DVDs of all four in 2013,” he tells us. “We’re getting better hi-def masters of Tenebrae and Phenomena, and we’re fixing the timing and color errors that were in the previous Blu-rays of the Demons films. Right now, Calum Waddell and High Rising Productions are working on supplements for Demons and Demons 2. They’re putting together all kinds of stuff for us on those two, with the participation of Simon Boswell, Alan Jones, Federico Zampaglione and Roy Bava, and many more to be announced. We haven’t started on the Tenebrae and Phenomena extras yet.” Look for more details on these releases (for which the images below do not necessarily represent the cover art) soon.
- 1/28/2013
- by gingold@starloggroup.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
Synapse Films’ Don May Jr. gave Fango the scoop that the company just acquired Lamberto Bava’s Demons and Demons 2 and Dario Argento’s Tenebrae and Phenomena. “We’ll be releasing Blu-rays and DVDs of all four in 2013,” he tells us. “We’re getting better hi-def masters of Tenebrae and Phenomena, and we’re fixing the timing and color errors that were in the previous Blu-rays of the Demons films. Right now, Calum Waddell and High Rising Productions are working on supplements for Demons and Demons 2. They’re putting together all kinds of stuff for us on those two, with the participation of Simon Boswell, Alan Jones, Federico Zampaglione and Roy Bava, and many more to be announced. We haven’t started on the Tenebrae and Phenomena extras yet.” Look for more details on these releases (for which the images below do not necessarily represent the cover art) soon.
- 1/28/2013
- by gingold@starloggroup.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
“The primary goal of Under The Scares [in which—full disclosure—this writer appeared] was to help young filmmakers make good movies without throwing their money away,” says director Steve Villeneuve. The follow-up, he explains, “will focus on the future of independent horror. In this film, I want to show how the evolution of technology has impacted the viewing experience of independent cinema, and the ability of these filmmakers to monetize their product since the 1970s.”
Already announced as part of Independent Scares are such genre veterans as Glass Eye Pix topper Larry Fessenden (pictured above), The Blair Witch Project and Lovely Molly’s Eduardo Sanchez, longtime producer/director Fred Olen Ray, Andrew van den Houten of Headspace, The Woman and others and Independent-International honcho Sam Sherman (pictured right). Villeneuve reveals to Fango that other talking heads will include Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer and The Shrine director Jon Knautz, JimmyO Burril and April Monique Burril of The Chainsaw Sally Show,...
Already announced as part of Independent Scares are such genre veterans as Glass Eye Pix topper Larry Fessenden (pictured above), The Blair Witch Project and Lovely Molly’s Eduardo Sanchez, longtime producer/director Fred Olen Ray, Andrew van den Houten of Headspace, The Woman and others and Independent-International honcho Sam Sherman (pictured right). Villeneuve reveals to Fango that other talking heads will include Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer and The Shrine director Jon Knautz, JimmyO Burril and April Monique Burril of The Chainsaw Sally Show,...
- 1/18/2013
- by gingold@starloggroup.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
“The primary goal of Under The Scares [in which—full disclosure—this writer appeared] was to help young filmmakers make good movies without throwing their money away,” says director Steve Villeneuve. The follow-up, he explains, “will focus on the future of independent horror. In this film, I want to show how the evolution of technology has impacted the viewing experience of independent cinema, and the ability of these filmmakers to monetize their product since the 1970s.”
Already announced as part of Independent Scares are such genre veterans as Glass Eye Pix topper Larry Fessenden (pictured above), The Blair Witch Project and Lovely Molly’s Eduardo Sanchez, longtime producer/director Fred Olen Ray, Andrew van den Houten of Headspace, The Woman and others and Independent-International honcho Sam Sherman (pictured right). Villeneuve reveals to Fango that other talking heads will include Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer and The Shrine director Jon Knautz, JimmyO Burril and April Monique Burril of The Chainsaw Sally Show,...
Already announced as part of Independent Scares are such genre veterans as Glass Eye Pix topper Larry Fessenden (pictured above), The Blair Witch Project and Lovely Molly’s Eduardo Sanchez, longtime producer/director Fred Olen Ray, Andrew van den Houten of Headspace, The Woman and others and Independent-International honcho Sam Sherman (pictured right). Villeneuve reveals to Fango that other talking heads will include Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer and The Shrine director Jon Knautz, JimmyO Burril and April Monique Burril of The Chainsaw Sally Show,...
- 1/18/2013
- by gingold@starloggroup.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
“The primary goal of Under The Scares [in which—full disclosure—this writer appeared] was to help young filmmakers make good movies without throwing their money away,” says director Steve Villeneuve. The follow-up, he explains, “will focus on the future of independent horror. In this film, I want to show how the evolution of technology has impacted the viewing experience of independent cinema, and the ability of these filmmakers to monetize their product since the 1970s.”
Already announced as part of Independent Scares are such genre veterans as Glass Eye Pix topper Larry Fessenden (pictured above), The Blair Witch Project and Lovely Molly’s Eduardo Sanchez, longtime producer/director Fred Olen Ray, Andrew van den Houten of Headspace, The Woman and others and Independent-International honcho Sam Sherman (pictured right). Villeneuve reveals to Fango that other talking heads will include Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer and The Shrine director Jon Knautz, JimmyO Burril and April Monique Burril of The Chainsaw Sally Show,...
Already announced as part of Independent Scares are such genre veterans as Glass Eye Pix topper Larry Fessenden (pictured above), The Blair Witch Project and Lovely Molly’s Eduardo Sanchez, longtime producer/director Fred Olen Ray, Andrew van den Houten of Headspace, The Woman and others and Independent-International honcho Sam Sherman (pictured right). Villeneuve reveals to Fango that other talking heads will include Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer and The Shrine director Jon Knautz, JimmyO Burril and April Monique Burril of The Chainsaw Sally Show,...
- 1/18/2013
- by gingold@starloggroup.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
We are huge fans of Synapse Films at Destroy the Brain. Don May Jr. and his assorted bunch of film misfits really cater to genre fans with quality releases. For example, Synapse is putting the previously mistreated-on-dvd title The Exterminator next Tuesday, September 13th (Review coming soon). Synapse keeps the exploitation Blu-Ray train rolling with William Lustig’s Maniac Cop, which stars Bruce Campbell and Tom Atkins, and a revenge flick called South of Heaven which played at the now expired CineVegas Film Festival back in 2008. Click below for the details!
From the Press Release:
Innocent people are brutally killed on the streets of New York by a uniformed police officer. A young cop, Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell, TV’s Burn Notice and The Evil Dead Trilogy) finds himself marked as the chief suspect after his wife is murdered. As Lieutenant Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins, Drive Angry and Lethal Weapon) investigates,...
From the Press Release:
Innocent people are brutally killed on the streets of New York by a uniformed police officer. A young cop, Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell, TV’s Burn Notice and The Evil Dead Trilogy) finds himself marked as the chief suspect after his wife is murdered. As Lieutenant Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins, Drive Angry and Lethal Weapon) investigates,...
- 9/8/2011
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
For most everyone (alive, that is), death is something that looms far off on the horizon. And although it’s an unavoidable reality, the perception of it differs widely from person to person. In the documentary The Life Of Death, filmmaker Kevin J. Lindenmuth (pictured) explores how death is perceived by an eclectic group of individuals who work in the media and how it influences (or not) how they go about their lives and work. The interviewees include Fangoria’s own Tony Timpone, author Jack Ketchum, actresses Caroline Munro and Debbie Rochon, Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman, director Scooter McCrae, Synapse Films topper Don May Jr. and others.
- 4/5/2011
- by gingold@starloggroup.com (Allan Dart)
- Fangoria
A few years ago Don May Jr. (Synapse Films) found tons of unedited, unused reals of film stock from John Carpenter's classic 1978 slasher Halloween that has still not been released. Don May Jr. tells all about whether the footage will ever see the light of day! It doesn't end there as tons of horror film history is discussed. This is the interview and the show you truly can't miss...
***Click The Player Below To Start/Stop The Show***
Click Here To Download Rabbit In Red Radio For iTUNES Or MP3 Listening
Source: HorrorBid
Original post blogged on b2evolution.
***Click The Player Below To Start/Stop The Show***
Click Here To Download Rabbit In Red Radio For iTUNES Or MP3 Listening
Source: HorrorBid
Original post blogged on b2evolution.
- 1/12/2011
- by Keepers of the Bid
- Horrorbid
I meant to post this a few days ago, but forgot. I got caught up counting down to Miley Cyrus' first nipple slip instead. Thanks to Retro Slashers and message board member Swf for reminding me about this exciting news. Don May Jr. of Synapse Films gave Fangoria the heads-up on a trio of titles the company plans to release next year.
- 11/9/2010
- by wil
- HorrorYearbook
Here is some exciting news from the revamped (again!) Fangoria website. Synapse Films has acquired the rights to The Dorm That Dripped Blood with "many other exciting titles" that they plan to announce in the next few weeks. Synapse’s Don May Jr. told Fango, "We’re working with [director/producer] Jeffrey Obrow, and we’ve uncovered his original answer print, which is titled Death Dorm. He believes that when the film was released as Dorm That Dripped Blood, the theatrical distributor did some editing and changed things around, in addition to the name. Our print is the only 35mm version of the film with the Death Dorm title, and it may contain footage that nobody has seen in 30 years."...
- 3/3/2010
- by Press Release Robot
- HorrorYearbook
Fangoria got the first word from Synapse Films that the DVD company have acquired the 1982 "slasher" pic The Dorm That Dripped Blood . While still in the very early stages, Synapse's Don May Jr. told the mag that the print they're transferring from "is the only 35mm version of the film with the (alternate) Death Dorm title, and it may contain footage that nobody has seen in 30 years. Because it hasn.t been shown in three decades, it's very clean, so it.ll be the best-looking version of the film ever on home video." In the pic (which stars a young Daphne Zuniga), a group of college students are helping prep the demolition of an old dorm when they begin getting picked off by a mysterious killer who uses a wide array of murder methods. No features are set...
- 3/3/2010
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Genre DVD specialist Synapse Films has announced that it has begun the restoration of one of the most twisted midnight movies in cinema history, Curt McDowell’s 1975 Thundercrack!, for disc release to mark the film’s 35th anniversary next year. Set in an old dark house on a stormy night, the stylized black-and-white feature details the strange and explicitly sexual interactions between a number of over-the-top characters (including one played by underground film legend George Kuchar, who also scripted)…and a gorilla.
“Thundercrack! is a great film, and we are working with the director’s sister, and Thundercrack! actress, Melinda McDowell, to make sure the film is presented correctly, in exactly the way Curt would’ve wanted it released,” says Synapse’s Don May Jr. “We’ll be releasing the film in its restored, longer form, using the one and only original 16mm film print. And we’re loading it with extras,...
“Thundercrack! is a great film, and we are working with the director’s sister, and Thundercrack! actress, Melinda McDowell, to make sure the film is presented correctly, in exactly the way Curt would’ve wanted it released,” says Synapse’s Don May Jr. “We’ll be releasing the film in its restored, longer form, using the one and only original 16mm film print. And we’re loading it with extras,...
- 9/3/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
Fango just heard from Jerry Chandler of Synapse Films, who gave us the scoop on a pair of new acquisitions that reflect his and Synapse partner Don May Jr.’s renewed commitment to independent genre features. “We stayed away from new indie films for a number of years, because they weren’t selling,” Chandler tells us, “but [their 2009 releases] Header and Sick Girl were too good for us to not put them out—when a title is as compelling as those two are, we have to handle them.
“That’s why Don and I got into this business, not just to throw stuff out there that isn’t as good, but might be an easier sell,” he continues. “Don and I debated about coming up with a name for a line of these titles, and for the life of us, we could not come up with anything that sounded right. However, we...
“That’s why Don and I got into this business, not just to throw stuff out there that isn’t as good, but might be an easier sell,” he continues. “Don and I debated about coming up with a name for a line of these titles, and for the life of us, we could not come up with anything that sounded right. However, we...
- 7/16/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
After more than 30 years, a couple of different editions and a number of VHS/DVD releases, Halloween fans may think they’ve seen it all when it comes to John Carpenter’s 1978 horror classic. But in 2006, word came down that a trove of unused negatives from the movie, including outtakes and deleted scenes, had been discovered. Now, Don May Jr. of DVD company Synapse Films, which obtained the 45,000 feet of material, has given Fango an exclusive update and images (see them below) from this footage.
“I know the fans have been waiting for more news from either myself or the purchaser, Billy J. Kirkus, but we really had nothing to report for a while,” May says. “Our original attempts to work with Malek Akkad [son of the late Moustapha Akkad, who now oversees the Halloween franchise] and Anchor Bay Entertainment went nowhere. It’s a shame, really, because we seem to have every single unused take from the film in our possession.
“I know the fans have been waiting for more news from either myself or the purchaser, Billy J. Kirkus, but we really had nothing to report for a while,” May says. “Our original attempts to work with Malek Akkad [son of the late Moustapha Akkad, who now oversees the Halloween franchise] and Anchor Bay Entertainment went nowhere. It’s a shame, really, because we seem to have every single unused take from the film in our possession.
- 6/11/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
Hey, remember when word Synapse Films' Don May Jr. announced an estimated 45,000 feet of negative outtakes from John Carpenter's Halloween was discovered about three years back? Yeah, we wondered what happened with all of that, too. It appears that in the last three years May and purchaser Billy J. Kirkus have hit a roadblock. There's far too much footage for them to transfer and any attempts to drum up interest from Malek Akkad and Anchor Bay, according to May, has been fruitless. May still doesn't know just what he has, but he gave Fangoria a glimpse at some screen shots of footage they did transfer. Get the full story here .
- 6/11/2009
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Don May Jr. of Synapse Films got in touch with a big update on what the genre-centric DVD company has in store for the rest of 2009, and gave Fango the first look at the cover art for its upcoming Sick Girl disc (see it below). The biggest announcement is a new edition of the slasher sequel Stepfather 2, in which Terry O’Quinn (pictured) reprised his role as the ultimate bad dad.
“We’re releasing Stepfather 2 on September 29 to tie in with the remake of the original scheduled for October,” May tells us, “so we’re putting that one on the fast track. We’re big fans of the movie, and we jumped at the chance to get it. We will be porting over all the supplements from the previous disc,” released by Miramax in 2003, and since discontinued; these bonuses include an audio commentary by director Jeff Burr and producer Darin Scott.
“We’re releasing Stepfather 2 on September 29 to tie in with the remake of the original scheduled for October,” May tells us, “so we’re putting that one on the fast track. We’re big fans of the movie, and we jumped at the chance to get it. We will be porting over all the supplements from the previous disc,” released by Miramax in 2003, and since discontinued; these bonuses include an audio commentary by director Jeff Burr and producer Darin Scott.
- 4/28/2009
- Fangoria
Synapse Films gave Fango the first look at the cover art for its DVD release of Header, which streets June 30. Company topper Don May Jr. also revealed that a twisted flick called Animalada is coming August 25, and provided the cover for that one too.
Extras are currently being finalized for Header, which May last discussed with us here; retail price will be $19.95. Sick Girl, also covered in that item, is due out July 28. And then there’s Animalada…an extremely bizarre and ultimately gory black comedy by Argentinean writer/director Sergio Bizzio. The story concerns an unhappily married man named Alberto (Carlo Roffe) who, while on vacation at his ranch, falls in love with a sheep, even staging a marriage ceremony for the two of them. When the relationship is understandably opposed by others, Alberto kills them, mixing the ground-up body parts into his new partner’s feed. Disc details have yet to be determined,...
Extras are currently being finalized for Header, which May last discussed with us here; retail price will be $19.95. Sick Girl, also covered in that item, is due out July 28. And then there’s Animalada…an extremely bizarre and ultimately gory black comedy by Argentinean writer/director Sergio Bizzio. The story concerns an unhappily married man named Alberto (Carlo Roffe) who, while on vacation at his ranch, falls in love with a sheep, even staging a marriage ceremony for the two of them. When the relationship is understandably opposed by others, Alberto kills them, mixing the ground-up body parts into his new partner’s feed. Disc details have yet to be determined,...
- 2/13/2009
- Fangoria
Fango just chatted with Don May Jr. of Synapse Films, who talked up his upcoming discs of the new indie shockers Sick Girl (pictured) and Header. The former (no relation to Lucky McKee’s same-titled Masters Of Horror episode) is a truly twisted tale from writer/director Eben McGarr.
Leslie Andrews stars in the title role of Izzy, an orphaned girl who takes an extremely violent approach to protecting her younger brother; you can see the movie’s official website here. “It’s just a brutal, brutal movie,” May tells Fango. “It’s funny, too; the filmmakers have a really good sense of humor—and hey, it’s got Stephen [Fright Night] Geoffreys in it!” The extras are currently being put together for Sick Girl, and while it’s too early to report those details, May notes that Synapse will likely use the striking promo photo seen here on the DVD’s cover.
Leslie Andrews stars in the title role of Izzy, an orphaned girl who takes an extremely violent approach to protecting her younger brother; you can see the movie’s official website here. “It’s just a brutal, brutal movie,” May tells Fango. “It’s funny, too; the filmmakers have a really good sense of humor—and hey, it’s got Stephen [Fright Night] Geoffreys in it!” The extras are currently being put together for Sick Girl, and while it’s too early to report those details, May notes that Synapse will likely use the striking promo photo seen here on the DVD’s cover.
- 12/23/2008
- Fangoria
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